Station Masters
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ALL INDIA STATION MASTERS’ ASSOCIATION
Regd. No. NDD/09-2010 NEW DELHI
(Submitted in the CBGM AT AGRA on 22.10.2010)
Dear Comrade Station Masters,
The Ministry of Railways published “OPERATING MANUAL FOR INDIAN RAILWAYS” containing 17 Chapters in 174 pages during 2008. This was authored by none other than Member Traffic, Shri. V.N. MATHUR, MEMBER TRAFFIC, RAILWAY BOARD. Therefore the credibility and authenticity of the book is unquestionable. It is interesting and boosting the morale of the Station Masters and hence I take your attention to the very first page of the book. I reproduce the contents of the first page in verbatim.
Railway Stations, worldwide, are located in prime city centers, as Railways were started at a time when expansion of cities was yet to start. Railway station continues to be the focal point of central business district in all cities in the world.
All description of rail business is transacted at the station, passengers start journey or complete it, outward parcels are booked and inward parcel consignments received and kept ready for delivery. At stations having attached goods shed, outward and inward freight cargo is handled there.
In their historic evolution, the stations now have catering establishments, resting facilities in retiring rooms or a budget hotel. A world-class station may look or in fact be more like a mall with shops and catering establishments with attendant information, ticketing and reservation counters.
Station Master is in overall charge of the station and includes Station Superintendent / Station Manager.
This is not the first time I am embarking on quoting the words of a top CEO to high light your undeniable importance in India Railways. Perhaps I made it a point to inculcate this peculiar phenomenon in the history of AISMA because I believed that your importance in Railways cannot be trumpeted by yourself as it amounts to vulgarity and vanity. On the other hand when you quote the words of eminent and important CEOs then it is from the horse mouth that cannot be disputed or refuted by anyone including your detractors.
So even according to the top CEO of RB YOU ARE THE OVER ALL INCHARGE OF THE STATION.
In almost all our earlier pamphlets we use to quote the definition of Station Master by the Fifth Pay Commission Chairman, Justice Rathnavel Pandian.
He described during nineties that STATION MASTERS ARE THE ICONS OF INDIAN RAILWAYS. Indeed strange – it was not within the scope of Fifth Pay Commission to find our WHO IS THE ICON OF INDIAN RAILWAY. And still if the Chairman-Fifth Pay Commission had dared to break the norms, PERHAPS HE TRULY BELIEVED THAT NO ONE BUT THE STATION MASTERS ARE THE ICONS OF INDIAN RAILWAYS. We will salute the great man though he did not provide us with remunerations befitting ICONS.
Now let me take you to the latest honour by Shri.J.L. Arora, Director Safety. The very first Paragraph in the Annexure to his letter No.2004/Safety-I/28/I Pt dated 16.04.2009 reads as under.
“SMS/ASMS are Brand Ambassadors of Railway image for public. Railway should provide better chamber/room with good furniture etc to boast their morale & image of the Railways”.
Now again let me take you to the letter Shri. Arvind Kumar, DRM/NANDED- Lr. No. N/T/Policy/09 Dt. 18.08.09. He showers you with the best one can imagine.
1. As a matter of fact, ASMs are coordinating with almost 14 departments of Railways directly or indirectly for safe & punctual running of Trains. They are the real icon of railways. They are maintaining close liaison with the supervisors for smooth functioning of the stations. However, their salary is skimpy vis-à-vis their workload and responsibility assigned to them as compared to the other employees of the Railways. They are fully accountable for all the happenings within the station limits.
2. Most of the ASMs are working at a way-side station where even basic amenities are not available. As a result, they have to keep their families away for the sake of their children’s education and medical facilities. This results in aggravating their worries. Hence, they may be allowed to occupy Railway quarter at a bigger place where basic amenities are available. Railways may plan for constructing Railway quarter in the cities instead of way-side stations.
3. Early disposal of the grievances of ASMs may be ensured.
4. Workload of ASMs may be eased by providing 2nd ASM after considering sale of tickets, sanitation and outdoor activities etc.
Now it is the turn of another ED/Traffic, Shri. Vinesh Kumar and his Lr.No.2002/TG/V/IO/PA/110/CRSBC Dt.24.05.2004.It states that yours is the only most stressed category
Sub: Guidelines for providing booking clerks at road side stations.
The Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety in Para No.9.5 of the report presented regarding rear end collision and subsequent derailment of 214 Dn. Mokama-Howrah Passenger train with 132 at Dumri Halt of ER has inter-alia made the following recommendations:
16.0 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS & CONCLUSIONS
16.1 The SMs/ASMs are the most stressed category due to excess work load.
The roadside station staff performing simultaneous, operating and commercial duties get highly stressed due to role overload, role conflict and unreasonable pressure. His occupational stress index is alarmingly high and he is highly dissatisfied with his job and management.
In the beginning of this literature I quoted how the latest MT has described the SM as the overall in-charge of the Station while subsequently DRM/Nanded declaring that you deal with not less thatn14 departments and that YOU ARE THE BRAND AMBASSADORS OF INDIAN RAILWAYS.
But let me take you to the version of one Sr.DOM/SBC/SWR who declares that your interactions with the public can MAKE OR MAR THE IMAGE OF INDIAN RAILWAYS.
Sr.DOM/SBC Lr. No. B/T.DAR/SF.5/I/39 Dated 28.7.1998
“The duties of an SM call for a great degree of sincerity, commitment, team work and willingness to shoulder responsibilities. The SM is the most visible and representative face of the Railways, and as such, he is expected to contribute his mite towards improving the services and amenities provided by the Railways to the traveling public. The interaction of the SM with the public to a large extent makes or mars the image of the Railways.
An in charge SM being an identified leader of his team at his station is expected to lead by example and set standards to his subordinates to emulate especially in the matters concerning discipline and efficiency.”
That’s it. You are he one setting the standards for emulation by the other staff.”
Even as we saw earlier according to Shri. J.L. Arora, Director Safety you deserve better pay but that can be decided only in the next pay commission. That’s strange. While the top hierarchy believes you are the king but has to wait till next Pay Commission, are you reduced of your burden till then? I think it is only right to take you chapter ten of the new GRS under way.
CHAPTER X: CONTROL AND WORKING OF STATIONS
10.01 Responsibility of the SM for working:-
(1) The SM shall be responsible for the efficient discharge of the duties devolving upon the railway servants employed, either permanently or temporarily, under his orders at the station or within the station limits and such railway servants shall be subject to his authority and direction in the working of the station;
10.03 Report of neglect of duty:-
The SM shall take corrective action and also report, without delay, to his superior, any neglect of duty on the part of railway servant who is under his orders.
Thus your old responsibilities found in Chapter V continues or likely to be augmented with more and more of modernization, mechanization and automation that includes the UTS being installed at your stations.
As you can see from the above, YOU ARE NOT ONLY EXPECTED TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EFFICIEDNT DISCHARGE OF DUTY BY EVERY WITHING THE STATION PREMISES BUT YOU ARE ALSO DUTY BOUND TO REPORT ON THEIR NEGLECT!
So beautiful it sounds. But sad part of it all is that the responsibilities are not compensated appropriately in the form appropriate remunerations.
Again I take you back your stations that were the commencing subject in this article. WHAT ONE GM HAD TO SAY ABOUT YOUR STATION?
GM/SR, Sri.V.Anands' Lr. No. CM/M/2003/01/470 Dated 7.1.2003.
(Sub: Working conditions in ASMs’ rooms and cabins at wayside stations)
“The annual report on safety of Indian Railways for the year 2000-2001 indicates that 293 out of 473 accidents were caused by failure of Railway Staff.
In the recent collision in South Central Railway the station staff were held prima-facie responsible. We have to address ourselves very seriously to reducing accidents on account of failure of railway staff. The most important aspect is the provision of working conditions conducive to safety.”While on one hand we have to ruthlessly take up with staff who are negligent and use short cut methods we should also make concerted efforts to improve working conditions, particularly at remote way side stations.”
Generally there are deficiencies such as,
1. Leaky roofs/ceiling and broken or sun shades which allow water to enter the cabins.
2. Rank vegetation, particularly around the cabins and the pathways leading to 4hem. If we do not have proper pathway for the Points man to walk, they will be tempted to use short cut methods while piloting the trains.
3. Lack of proper electric supply.
4. Mosquito menace.
5. Lack of civic amenities such as drinking water supply and residential accommodation which renders certain stations as ‘punishment postings’.
I would like you to examine the above aspects critically and undertake a directed building maintenance procedure so that the working conditions in the cabins and ASMs’ room are made such that people are encouraged to perform their duties in comfort and ensuring total safety.”
So you are in square one again and the status quo remains as lamented by the then GM/SR.
Now let us look at the issue-our demand for re-designating Station Masters as Station Manager. Something strange and baffling. The Drivers have become Loco Pilots and you have only JUNIOR, SENIOR AND SECTIONAL ENGINEERS ALL AROUND. But your designation cannot be changed as Station Managers, a cry of AISMA for almost a decade.
And as usual we win-but sort of belatedly!
I take you to the Chapter one of the NEW GRS THAT IS IN THE ANVIL.
1.01 Short title and commencement
(77) "Station Manager (SM)" means the competent railway servant in charge of a station and includes such authorised person on duty, who is responsible for the working of the traffic within station limits and is in independent charge of working of signals and trains under the system of working in force. These may include Deputy Station Manager, Assistant Station Manager, Station Superintendent, Deputy Station Superintendent, Station Master, Assistant Station Master, Cabin Assistant Station Master, Chief Yard master or Yard Master etc.;
And when I take you further to the Appendix that describes the Abbreviations that are being used in the new GRS, you are not found in 'A' but in 'S':
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS USED
A
ACP Alarm Chain Pulling
AEB Automatic Emergency Brakes
AEE Assistant Electrical Engineer
AOM Assistant Operations Manager
APWLC Authority to Proceed Without Line Clear
ASTE Assistant Signal & Telecommunication Engineer
S
SM Station Manager.
Now when you analyse the above elaborate analysis it is obvious that it is not the case of the Railway Ministry or Railway Board that you are something INSIGNIFICANT IN THE GREAT INDIAN RAILWAYS BUT YOU ARE THE REAL ICONS AND THE BRAND AMBASSADORS!
But still your due rights are denied. Why?
The answer is simple.
Not only we do not have a lobby for Station Manager of IR,
But we are pitted against counter lobbies!!
Strange but true.
Let the new body find solutions for the real problem.
Thank you Comrades,
G. Rajan.
(Ex CVP/AISMA & GS/SR)
About the Author
G. Rajan.
Ex CVP/AISMA & GS/SR
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